Duplicate of Western Han Long-handle Fan Unearthed in Mawangdui Han Tombs in Hunan

This is a duplicate of the Western Han (202 BC-8 AD) long-handle bamboo fan excavated in the Mawangdui Han Tombs in Changsha of China’s southern Hunan province, which is the earliest evidence of fans made of bamboo that has survived to the present day. Housed in Hunan Provincial Museum, the original has a long wood handle attached to one side of the kitchen-knife-shaped panel woven with narrow bamboo strips. Patterns similar to ox horn can be seen in the center of the panel, and both the handle and the edge of the panel are bound in silk fabric.
The most important function of long-handle fans was to provide shade from the sun, hence the name meaning “shade fan” in Chinese. Such fans became necessary apparatus to “shade the face” for the nobilities during outing in ancient China, and there were strict regulations on the usage of them. The rules and regulations of the Zhou dynasty (1046-771 BC) stipulated the exact numbers of fans allowed for emperors and nobilities, for example, eight for emperors, six for dukes, four for ministers and two for general officials, as a sign of different classes.